Hispanic Voter: We’re Not a Prize

Jan 29, 2013

RUSH: David, near the Colorado border, welcome to the EIB Network. Great to have you here. Hi.

CALLER: Hi, Rush. I’ve been listening to you for over 25 years when I lived in California ’til now. This situation about the Hispanic vote, that’s all it is that they’re trying to get. They keep trying to make the Hispanics like a prize.

RUSH: David, let me interrupt. I need to ask you a question. Do you hear me?

CALLER: Yeah.

RUSH: Okay, I need to ask you — because you said something very intriguing to me. Are you Hispanic?

CALLER: Yes, I am. I’m Puerto Rican. I was born in New York in Bedford-Stuyvesant —

RUSH: Okay.

CALLER: — over 75 years ago. And I’m tired of people trying to treat us like we’re the prize. Treat us with respect and integrity. Stop making a fuss over Hispanics. We’re not any better than any other American in this country, and I get sick and tired, these people trying to make us the prize. If people want a good country to live in and a decent salary and a decent way of life, that’s all they need. Hispanic, Italian, Jewish, French, whatever. And stop making a situation like we’re some kind of prize that we’re gonna get and we’re gonna get welfare —

RUSH: Why did you leave out the Irish? Are you anti-Irish?

CALLER: No, no, if you know Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, I was born with every nationality around me that you can think of, including Chinese. I lived one block from a black neighborhood —

RUSH: I understand.

CALLER: — one block from a Jewish neighborhood —

RUSH: I understand. So the question I have for you, you are of the opinion, you’re basically saying you resent being pandered to, you resent being treated like a pawn because what you think this is all about is simply getting your vote. You don’t think that any of this is about you as a human being?

CALLER: No, it is not. They’re treating us like I just said, like a pawn. You know New York, you worked out of there, and 75% of it is Democrat. They’ll promise you everything in the world, and this president has come up with everything that he can think of to get your vote. He don’t honor you or, you know, take —

RUSH: You see, that’s the point, David. I mean, you’ve hit on this. This is precisely, and a lot of people — I’m not saying everybody who is interested in immigration reform is this way, but I’m gonna tell you, the vast majority of politicians who are focused on this are purely seeing votes. That’s exactly what you are. You are a pawn or you’re to be used. You’ve been objectified, let’s put it that way. As an Hispanic, you’ve been stigmatized. You’re unfairly treated, that’s the assumption, and we’ve gotta go overboard to treat you fairly, but it is about your vote.

The question has often been asked in recent years, “Why do immigrants come here anymore?” It used to be, without question, without any debate, immigration, people that emigrated here sought freedom. They sought freedom from oppression where they lived. They simply wanted to be free, they wanted liberty, and they wanted to be Americans, and they wanted to come here and assimilate and become part of the United States of America. That’s not so much the case, certainly not universally anymore. Heather Mac Donald, Manhattan Institute, number of others have done academic research on this, and they have found that, in terms of Hispanic immigrants, voting Democrat, has nothing to do with immigration policy. It’s all about the fact they believe in government as the source of prosperity. And that’s what the Democrat Party loves. They want people thinking government’s the source of prosperity. I think the number was astounding.

If I remember right, in the Heather Mac Donald piece, 75% of the Hispanic vote for the Democrat Party is not about immigration; it’s about their belief. It may be a little bit strong to say they’re voting for the welfare state, but they certainly believe that government is the source of prosperity. They believe in it. They believe in the party of government. A lot of Republicans seem to think that it’s still all about liberty and freedom and being the best you can be and escaping oppression. And it is for some. But it’s not universal anymore. Certainly not as it used to be. David, thanks much.